NATURAL BURIAL CASKETS and MORE

Journey Journal... Arlington, MA

A TISKET, A CASKET... A GREEN and YELLOW BASKET

All caskets available through the Mourning Dove Studio are “green” because of their biodegradability and suitability for natural burials.  But the actual colors and styles can reflect a broad spectrum of possibilities.  A pivotal feature of this enterprise is its adaptability and responsiveness to personal visions.  The sky’s the limit for individually created versions destined for underground repose, as long as construction materials and decorative applications mesh with principled stipulations for ecologically-friendly burials. 

The Mourning Dove venture, though, encompasses far more than the sale of burial containment.  Its two co-founder visionaries conceptualized an inclusive palate of offerings.  Through their direct support, customers have been able to immerse themselves in details of design as well as dialogues about death.  Backgrounds in human service instinctively marry these originators with a sensitivity to emotional needs generated by ramifications of current and future loss.  

Although sales of burial receptacles represent the most tangible backbone of their activities, nothing within the realm of related services is boxed in by prescribed structure.  The dynamic nature of shared details and interactive exchanges engages customers under novel circumstances, promoting personal  touches and camaraderie typically foreign to conventional retail settings.    

Ruth Faas and Sue Cross are the prime movers who have nurtured this initiative toward its realization.  Both had been peripheral observers of matters within the death arena prior to plunging into it themselves.  

Observations of her uncle’s funeral home operations may have set the stage for Ruth, but a reaction to her mother’s casket innervated thoughts of alternatives.  Clinical ministrations as an occupational therapist led to graduate studies in sociology and a role as a teaching assistant for a Death and Dying class.  Currently, she is a member of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Eastern Massachusetts.    

Besides a background in mental health, an appreciation of cultural diversity and a passion for art have contributed to Sue’s involvement in death-related services.  While serving as a bereavement counselor for adolescents, she is also developing a film series about death, dying, and grieving for a local church.  

These inspired women have fulfilled roles as enablers by guiding folks beyond the darkness of finality and into the light of expressive possibilities for handling it.  Until recently, customers had been able to visit a multi-functional, spacious studio where caskets were on display, but also, other activities were underway.  

Individual art projects and workshops were conducted in the larger of two rooms.  Bereavement groups could be accommodated.  For a nominal fee, basic cardboard caskets or pine boxes could be decorated according to individualized inspirations and aspirations.  Guidance was available from the co-founder who has a penchant for art, buoyed by four years of classes and membership in a cooperative art studio, and imbued with a special interest in the art and rituals her Hungarian ancestors had practiced in response to deaths. 

Photos Source:  Mourning Dove Studio Website

A smaller resource room served as a hub for access to relevant literature about matters of mortality, including alternative modes of death management.  There,  folks could sit and read to glean insights on their journeys toward end-of-life wisdom.  Some tapped material addressing grief to bolster steps toward recovery.  

Perhaps a germane slogan for this venture that pertains to death would be, “Never Say Die.”  Operations could readily have come to a demised termination were it not for motivational resilience.  As with life itself, an insurmountable obstacle was encountered that rendered a numbing blow. 

The storefront space on Massachusetts Avenue that had been headquarters for this establishment since its origination in December of 2009 had to be unexpectedly abandoned in 2014.  A quintessential “we regret to inform you” notice was the dagger that could have inflicted mortal wounds.  The announcement of a monthly rent increase of $1000. was potentially paralyzing.  

But the imposed absence of expanse did not mark the end of this life-enriching cause.  Now, sales are conducted and information is dispensed from the owner’s home.  Caskets are on display in the basement, along with some biodegradable urns and reference materials.    

Rather than unceremoniously placing an order, sometimes folks who are experiencing the turmoil of loss or terminal circumstances may want to immerse themselves in the process of development through hands-on involvement.  As an evocative tool for expression of feelings, such activities can be an antidote to their festering imprisonment. 

Given enough preemptive time, clients may even choose to construct a casket themselves, with direct assistance.  Or plain, unadorned boxes that are already made can awaken ideas, prompting applications of paint or anything the heart desires.  

Photo Source:  Mourning Dove Studio Website

Encyclopedia pages meaningfully lined the interior of a rudimentary receptacle that would be apropos for a teacher or avid learner.  The decoupage technique is often employed.  

Inserts may be covered by family photos, images that signify a decedent’s characteristics, or ornamentation of a different nature.  

Even mere post-it notes might be affixed to recognize a decedent’s persona or as a means for conveying messages as part of a send-off.  

     

  

As an alternative to a do-it-yourself casket-making project or securing one that’s locally constructed, models from other retail sources can be ordered.  Basket-type receptacles made from natural fibers have become popular commodities for green burials in Europe and, increasingly, in the United States as well. 

The stylistic Ecopod was introduced to the world as a distinctive, molded configuration that simulates a seed pod.  It is hand made using recycled newspapers and finished with paper from mulberry pulp.  Colors and imprinted designs are variable.    

Caskets with designs prepared through the application of biodegradable paints are available.  One of a cadre of local artists can be commissioned to do the work. 

Photo Source:  Mourning Dove Studio Website

If a shroud is preferred, it can be acquired from one of a few nationwide sources. 

For discussions with the Mourning Dove owner, interested individuals are invited to sit around a table in her spacious country kitchen that evokes images of neighborhood coffee klatches.  The homey environment begets a sense of homespun attention.   

Like a sumptuous meal, the scoop about options for products and services is doled out generously.  Contacts may be facilitated by referring people to a host of providers.  Among them are funeral homes and cemeteries that support ecological practices, celebrants who conduct commemorative services, grief therapists, deathbed choirs, and artists who create memorial items.  

The website for this venture also serves as a channel for input.  Besides having access to pertinent blog articles, readers are apprised of opportunities to attend a series of writing workshops or yoga classes to address the impact of loss.  Home gatherings for exploration and discussions can be arranged.  One page on the website is a repository for a listing of resources and the sharing of commemorative ideas submitted by individuals.  

Part of the mission to spread the word about natural burials is implemented through community presentations and exhibits at events, such as the 2014 Graves In the Garden green burial fair at Mount Auburn Cemetery.  In a vendor milieu, a few of the caskets were on display there.

A commitment to promote the concept of environmentally sustainable end-of-life practices is at the core of this undertaking.  It is readily apparent that individualized support and a goal of enlightenment serve as the underlying foundation for devoted engagement.  These authentic helpers want to help people.  Casket sales seem secondary to that objective.   

As noted on their website, they “want to help dying people and their loved ones openly discuss these topics, utilize art and creativity as tools for leaving a legacy of love, create meaningful, personalized end-of-life ceremonies, have more access to eco-friendly options, honor and grieve our connections and losses.”

Their recognition of a need for earthly preservation has motivated involvement in this ecologically conscientious endeavor.  Everything they do and everything they provide is down to earth, whether it be a burial receptacle or a suggestion.  Under their auspices, customized creativity reigns.  Their efforts epitomize a manner of personalization that is meaningful and devoid of commercialism.  They are mavericks in these ever-growing funerary fields of green.  

Mourning Dove Studio

"Going green"

boston.com Article

"Mourning goes green in Arlington"

WICKEDLOCAL..com Article

_________________________________________________________________________

NATURAL BURIAL FAIR at MOUNT AUBURN CEMETERY

JOURNEY JOURNAL... Cambridge, MA

BECOMING EARTH... "LEAVES" of GREEN

In spite of high humidity and a whisper of rain showers, spirits at the Mount Auburn Cemetery were not at all dampened.  On the contrary, folks who attended the June 14th, 2014 “Graves In the Garden” green burial fair engaged themselves enthusiastically in opportunities to learn about the natural burial concept.  

The afternoon schedule of activities enabled people to experience the verdant environment of these venerated burial grounds.  It was all about “green” in a setting that exudes it.  It was about a matter of death in a leafy arboretum rife with life.  Blanketed by an abundance of trees, shrubs, and flowers, the terrain served as an ideal theater for an affair addressing earthly sustenance.   

The concept of green burials that has been growing like wildflowers around the country had been embraced by Mount Auburn Cemetery, where that type of elemental burial is now available.  Plots for this purpose are scattered throughout the grounds and integrated among traditional sites rather than in a designated, homogeneous section.  

In one instance, an area in front of a field of headstones has been framed according to a husband and wife’s wishes, in readiness for their future deaths and natural burials.  As a reflection of their joint ownership of a Boston area retreat that features many art pieces, stones native to western Massachusetts represent their legacy of a lifetime appreciation of outdoor art.   

This special event at the cemetery was geared not only toward pre-planners like that couple whose gravesite preemptively graces the grounds, but also for anyone who was interested in becoming enlightened about the natural burial concept in general.  

At the onset, individuals strolled along a hilly road to reach the Bigelow Chapel, named for Dr. Jacob Bigelow, who had been instrumental in acquiring seventy acres as a foundation for establishment of the cemetery in 1831.  

Dr. Bigelow also was responsible for the erection of a stone statue as a memorial to victims of the Civil War.  

The lion with a human head and a pharoah's headdress sits vigilantly across from the chapel's entrance.

Spokespeople from relevant organizations and vendors manned tables with literature and posters explaining the essence of their services and missions.  Representatives included the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts, providers who are part of the National Home Funeral Alliance, the Eternal Blessings Cremation Service, and the My Exit Strategy Internet storage depot for end-of-life wishes. 

Depictions of family directed home funerals were displayed on a photo board.

Biodegradable caskets appropriate for natural burials were exhibited as well.  These are available through Mourning Dove Studio, a treasure trove for varied types of ecologically friendly burial containment, often embellished with meaningful appointments and artistry.  

Meanwhile, as guests milled around the premises, a “pseudo-someone”  lay motionless, undisturbed by the enlivening chatter while awaiting its “pseudo-burial” scheduled for later in the afternoon.  

Next stop on the agenda was the Story Chapel, named for the cemetery’s first president, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story.  Constructed of sandstone in the style of a fifteenth-century English church, its Gothic interior style features a ceiling of carved wooden pieces.  

People gathered here for the showing of a popular film, A Will for the Woods, which has won acclaim for its poignant documentation of an individual’s end-of-life journey.  It follows the progression of circumstances confronted by Clark Wang, a musician and psychiatrist, as he dealt with lymphoma and prepared for his green burial.  Thoughtfully placed tissue boxes had been scattered throughout the rows of pews.  Following the film, its producers were on hand to answer questions, of which there were many.  

Next on the agenda was a demonstration, compelling transport of the “pseudo-corpse” –previously reposing in the chapel – to its grave.

For digging a little deeper into the green burial concept, a grave site had been authentically prepared to conduct a mock burial au naturel.  

After meeting at the Bigelow Chapel, staff led folks to the site for further elaboration of details, enabling insights about the differences between this type of burial and conventional approaches along with up-close visualization of the process as it is managed on the Mount Auburn property.  

The final element of this occasion was a presentation by Mark Harris, author of Grave Matters, a book extolled for its authenticity captured through his personal observations.  Having written articles about natural burials for prominent newspapers and magazines, and as a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists, he is widely regarded as an expert resource.  Against a backdrop of standard practices and through elaborations of witnessed details, readers are apprised of less familiar, yet burgeoning methods.  Benefits of natural endings readily come into focus.  

This burial alternative has taken root.  During recent years it has been capturing the attention of providers and consumers around the country.  In this age of materialism and excess, it entails less, rather than more.  It mirrors the past – the old way burials were handled before manufactured goods and funerary accoutrements came on the scene.  Yet, perhaps oddly, it is perceived as uniquely new. 

Many people still are not yet aware of this ostensibly “new” option for bodily disposition after  death.  Besides excavating a grave to illustrate it, planners for the “Graves In the Garden” affair opened minds.  Through input from various sources, people in attendance were given a realistic look at this earth-friendly manner of physical disposition.  

Mount Auburn was the first cemetery in Massachusetts to be certified by the Green Burial Council as a hybrid burial ground.  For that designation to be conferred, certain principled stipulations had to be met.  Options now include an opportunity for a body to be buried in a biodegradable casket or shroud directly in the ground, without outer containment in the form of a vault or concrete liner.  Instead of protuberant memorial stones, such graves may be marked by inconspicuous markers inlayed within nature’s ground cover.  Alternatively, a small plaque affixed to a nearby shrub or tree, or the absence of any type of discernible marker, can serve as a sign that an individual’s body has been conscientiously poised to merge with the natural environment.  

Here, within this embellished retreat for souls laid to rest, the beauty of nature’s complexion prevails.  The possibility of becoming absorbed in its terrestrial vigor in spite of death can be especially alluring.  A green burial within this thriving landscape offers an opportunity to literally embed oneself in a sanctuary of ecological splendor.  

Mount Auburn Cemetery

http://mountauburn.org/

Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts

http://www.funeralconsumerswmass.org/

National Home Funeral Alliance

http://homefuneralalliance.org/

A Will for the Woods film

ww.awillforthewoods.com/#home

Grave Matters by Mark Harris

http://www.gravematters.us/

Mourning Dove Studio

http://www.mourningdovestudio.com/

My Exit Strategy

https://myexitstrategy.co/

Eternal Blessings Family-Direct Cremation Service

http://www.eternalblessingscrematory.com/

______________________________________________________________________

BURIALS AT SEA

JOURNEY JOURNAL, Marshfield Hills, Massachusetts

The ocean has its silent caves,

Deep, quiet and alone;

Though there be fury on the waves,

Beneath them there is none

… peaceful sleep is ever there,

Beneath the dark blue waves.

Excerpts from “The Ocean” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

TIDAL GRAVES

For immersion in a meeting with a company representative to glean details about New England Burials At Sea (NEBAS), one might expect to see water.  But in this case, within the confines of a hotel lobby, the only water in the near vicinity emanated from the young hospitality apprentice manning the front desk who was still wet behind the ears. 

Photo illustrations of this enterprise must be limited to the company’s website postings, as relevant “Kodak moments” were unavailable during this meeting in a hotel.

Rather than at headquarters in Marshfield Hills on the continental coast, Dennisport on Cape Cod was the location for conveyance of introductory enlightenment.  At the time of this afternoon interaction with an appointed representative, the company’s owner was on his way to San Diego. The next day he would host a cruise to submerge a group of funeral directors in the concept and conduct of sea burials for expansion of operations in Pacific waters.  

Captain Brad White, the originator of this business that was baptized in 2006, has not only managed to stay afloat, but has ridden the swelling waves of expansion during the ensuing years.  Services are provided from Maine to Florida on the east coast and through an affiliation with the scattering company, Ashes On the Sea, on the west coast from San Diego to San Francisco. 

There is no shortage of seafaring operations established specifically for scattering missions.  This one, though primarily engaged in disposition of cremated remains, also conducts eco-friendly, whole body burials on a regular basis.

Most often, families and friends are on board for scattering and burial missions.  Only about ten percent are unattended.  There is a full menu of options from which they can select, determined fundamentally by the degree of involvement desired and the number of people who will participate; variations are available, including an unattended scattering with a ship-to-shore conference call enabling up to four family members to listen to the ceremony from a location on land.  Both unattended and attended year-round memorial cruises are available for disposition of either cremated remains or bodies. 

Boats vary in size; for up to fifty passengers, one that is thirty to sixty-five feet long is used, but for larger groups of up to four hundred people, vessels up to one hundred and twenty-five feet are employed.  The company has access to over forty-six boats around the country, which deploy from multiple ports. 

Excursions typically last about two hours for scatterings and longer for whole body burials.  In compliance with regulations established by the EPA, which oversees burials in American waters, cremated remains must be scattered at least three nautical miles off shore, whether deposited directly or in an aquatic type of biodegradable urn.  

Bodily burials must take place in at least six hundred feet of water, which can be reached at about twenty-five to thirty miles from a northeastern port, but may be farther out – thirty-five to ninety miles – in other areas. 

  

Instead of traditional wooden or steel caskets necessitating modification as required by the EPA and entailing additional expense, use of a locally hand sewn, company trademarked ocean-friendly burial shroud is encouraged as an eco-friendly alternative. This Atlantic and Pacific Sea Burial Shroud that’s made of canvas and sailcloth has zippered access and is carried with ropes.  It biodegrades in three to six months.  Families may write messages on the canvas and a picture of the decedent may be slipped into a transparent pocket on top of the shroud.  A chamber separate from the body contains four oversized cannon balls weighing almost forty pounds each; a federal regulation mandates at least one hundred and fifty pounds of additional weight to assure sinkage and stability on the ocean floor.  

The rate of decomposition varies, depending on the ocean depth and temperature, as well as the population and hunger of sea creatures scavenging for nourishment in that spot.  Once the body has been utilized for fish food and the shroud biodegrades – presumably in ninety to one hundred and eighty days – the canon balls serve as artificial reefs that attract marine life.  In contrast to a body anchored at the bottom of the sea, cremated remains generally become part of warm ocean currents propelling them in perpetual motion. 

In concert with an intention to minimize environmental impact, embalming is avoided – unlike the protocol for sea burials provided by the Navy to qualified veterans as part of regular missions.  Another difference is the distance for a body to be delivered into the waters, ordinarily sliding about a foot down over the side of a boat in contrast to plummeting ten stories from a military carrier.    

A funeral director must be on board to oversee custody and disposition of a body, but does not need to be present for a scattering event.  Once participating funeral directors have been apprised of company protocols and practices, the company certifies them to manage preliminaries for this form of disposition. 

The boat captain officiates for ceremonial purposes unless a family chooses to have a clergy member or other representative serve in that role.  Proceedings can be varied according to wishes for particular readings, poems, tribute videos, or other commemorative elements.  The boat may circle over the spot of a body’s deployment into the water, often defined by flowers floating above it, in conjunction with a canon salute. 

In nautical history, the sounding of eight bells rung after a sailor had died indicated the end of one’s watch at sea and the beginning of another. This ritual, identified as an “Eight Bells End-of-Watch Blessing,” is one of many optional “bells and whistles” available to embellish the memorial experience.  A common practice is the tossing of a single flower, rose petals, or an easily biodegradable wreath. 

                 

 

Some others include a military honor guard, musical additions, such as a bugler, bagpiper in authentic garb, or use of a portable sound system, photography packages, and Internet simulcasting.

Everyone onboard is encouraged to participate, often taking turns tossing a portion of the cremated remains. 

The boat’s engine may be shut down for moments of quiet reflection, enabling folks to drink in the surroundings and douse their senses in the sounds of winds and waves as well as the sight of gliding birds, bounding whales, cavorting seals, and whichever other creatures may happen to pass by. 

A memorial voyage can be more than a mission and often is garnished with catered food.  In fact, the tide may turn once remains have been consigned to their aquatic grave, perhaps even transforming a tsunami of tears and an undercurrent of sorrow into billows of social interaction. 

Another course of action is available at ports from New England to Virginia. In an affiliation with and as a distributor of Great Burial Reefs, NEBAS is able to offer a scattering alternative that will keep cremated remains from becoming part of swirling ocean currents.  Instead, they are situated within six-hundred-pound concrete structures coated with microsilica to attract marine creatures on the ocean floor. 

Photos from Great Burial Reef website

Using GPS coordinates provided by the company, divers can subsequently visit the site to observe the progression of marine habitation.

Photo from Great Burial Reef website

For anyone who wishes to mark one’s journey into the wild blue yonder by taking flight before submerging in the deep blue sea, the enterprise offers scattering over the sea by air – at points between New Jersey and Maine, via vintage airplanes.  

Through “geo-targeting,” cremated substance can be scattered within a relatively small area.  Though family members are not able to accompany remains, the captain can conduct a brief maritime ceremony on the tarmac beforehand.  They can then witness the scattering from a nearby boat or land location or may be flown in a different aircraft alongside the plane to watch it close up.  Folks observing from a distance will see the plane’s wings dip in a final salute and through radio contact will hear the pilot read a final prayer.   

Regardless of the manner in which remains in any form are “laid to rest” under the auspices of this enterprise, after each event a family is given a certificate noting the navigational coordinates (latitudinal and longitudinal location) for future reference. 

Multiple varieties of souvenirs are available for purchase to mark the occasion.  Concierge services can be tapped for assistance with lodging, dining, and transportation arrangements.  Pet remains can be handled in like manner as well. 

As cemeteries become saturated with underground occupants and mausoleum structures keep popping up to expand their offerings, a sea of opportunity awaits.

Since water is so predominate both as a symbol and as an agent, its growing appeal as a final resting place is not surprising.  For someone whose occupation, hobbies, vacations, or dreams have led to an aqueous milieu during life, burial of one’s physical residuals in a similar setting may be particularly apropos.  But for others, the lure of a final splashdown to the ocean floor may simply be motivated by an urge to return to an environment reminiscent of amniotic bliss.

Primary Source of Photos:

http://www.newenglandburialsatsea.com/

http://www.greatburialreef.com/

 ________________________________________________________________________